A number of area high school bowlers have reached the grim reality portion of their seasons.

Bowl well or bowl no more.

The Western Pennsylvania Individual Regional takes place Friday at North Versailles Bowl. The team regional will be hosted by the same house Saturday.

“You have to bowl better than OK at this level in order to move on,” Butler coach Bob Cupp said.

Butler is among 18 boys teams and 20 girls teams competing at team regionals. The top six boys and girls teams advance to the state high school finals March 20-21 in Ephrata.

The Golden Tornado boys finished second at the recent WPIBL Championships, falling four pins short of champion Moon. The Tornado girls placed fourth as Norwin walked off with the team title.

“I love the way our boys are going right now,” Cupp said. “Since losing in that second week to Armstrong, they’ve really come together.

“The kids have each other’s backs, they’re confident in each other ... They realize they have a shot at doing something special.”

Three Butler boys — junior Matt Wetzel (196 average), freshman Shawn Marcellus (193) and senior Dan Bellis (189) — are participating in the individual regional event.

Five Tornado girls — seniors Megan Paul (201), MiKayla White (179), Baylee Verner (171) and Abby Bagley (162), along with freshman Nicole Nebel (162) — will compete in the individual regionals as well as the team.

“The individual regional is a little different in terms of pressure,” Cupp said. “You’re out there on your own, it’s a you against the world type thing. Some people react differently when the team concept isn’t there.

“Getting a couple of freshmen in there is fantastic. Nicole and Shawn will grow from this. And when Shawn’s on, he can bowl as well as anybody.”

Paul won the Western Regional last season and placed sixth at the state meet. Her 201 average was fourth highest among WPIBL girls this year.

“Megan’s been there,” Cupp said. “She had the best score at the league team championships, too. Now we have to rise to the occasion as a team.”

Cupp added that Bellis has emerged as a team leader on the boys side.

“He’s been getting better each week,” the coach said. “He’s a senior, it’s his last shot, and I see in his eyes that he knows that.

“Dan bowled very well at the league championships. He picked up the team and put them on his back.”

Two other county bowlers — Knoch senior Joel Zacherl (197) and Mars sophomore Allison Bruce (167) — are competing in the individual regionals Friday.

Zacherl is in the regional as an individual for the first time.

“He missed going last year by like half a pin,” Knoch coach Kevin Hindman said. “Joel’s only been bowling for six years, so he’s doing extremely well.

“I don’t think nerves will bother him. He’s pretty focused when he bowls. He’ll be OK.”

The top 12 male and female individuals move on to individual state play.

Mars coach Ralph Jockel said “it will be close” for Bruce if she bowls well.

“It depends on which Allison shows up,” Jockel said. “Sometimes she bowls really well, other times it can be bad. But she’s averaging close to 200 in tournaments, so she tends to focus in and concentrate more then.

“Last year, as a freshman, she got really nervous. Now she’s more experienced and confident. Experience helps a lot.”